Copper thefts reach all-time high

A record surge in copper thefts poses such a threat to Britain’s
infrastructure that it is deemed the second highest priority after
terrorism, police have warned.

By Victoria Ward

7:00AM GMT 28 Feb 2011

The epidemic, fuelled by the soaring cost of copper, is only expected to get worse, affecting gas supplies, electricity companies and telecoms cables.

The cost to the UK has doubled to around £770 million a year and another rise in thefts is anticipated.

Organised gangs risk their lives by clambering on to the tracks and using power tools to cut through live train signalling, electricity and data cables.

They then cart the cabling off in anything from wheelbarrows to quad bikes.

During the last financial year it cost Network Rail £11.75 million, of which nearly £8 million went to train operators in compensation.

Chief Superintendent Eamonn Carroll of British Transport Police (BTP) told the Independent on Sunday: "Cable theft is the next biggest priority after the terrorist threat. The disruption and the problems it can cause are immense."

The price of copper has soared by 41 per cent in the last year and this month hit an all-time high of £6,328 a ton.

Demand from China is expected to push prices up even further and police have called for legislative change to tackle the problem more effectively.

They want scrap yards, which stockpile small amounts until they have a significant amount to sell to conglomerates, to be made cashless to ensure there is an audit trail to identify those involved.

BTP has joined forces with Network Rail and BT to tackle the crisis.

There have been recent incidents in Cornwall, Newcastle, the Midlands and the North-east while police are stepping up operations in north-east London and Essex.

When cables are cut, trains are forced to stop for safety reasons and can delay services for several hours.

A Network Rail spokesman said that measures taken to prevent the robberies included the use of armoured cable that was difficult to cut through, burying cable four feet below ground and using DNA marking cable and remote movement CCTV.

He added: "It's the worst it's ever been and is causing untold misery to hundreds of thousands of rail passengers.

"As well as scrap yards being made cashless, we want compulsory registration for scrap dealers and the police to be given the power to close scrap yards using stolen material."

Bernie Auguste, BT's head of security for Openreach said: "Telecoms service is the lifeblood of the country. Thefts affect emergency services and can affect vulnerable people and businesses."